I’ve heard enough of the “let’s get rid of UAA” talk. Here is a little “truth” to the argument! I wrote this on USCHO this week:

For the millionth time…no league is going to “dump” an Alaska team. The NCAA gives a school an exemption for playing in Alaska. For the argument, let’s say that Minnesota plays at Anchorage.

So, for flying up to Anchorage (which maybe costs the Univ of Minnesota $40,000…for flights, hotel and meals…) they get to play an extra two games that season (at home) in which they can sell 20,000 tickets at Mariucci at $30 a piece. So, for spending $40,000 they get to make $600,000!

So, playing Anchorage makes the U of M at least (not counting concessions and parking) $560,000.

The same can be said for North Dakota, Wisconsin, Denver, CC, SCSU, Mankato, and Duluth…only the numbers change based on how many tickets will be sold for the “extra” two games at home.

Even at SCSU (which averaged just shy of 6000 at home last year…assuming 12,000 tickets sold at $18 per ticket) will make at least $150,000 PROFIT by playing at Alaska.

That’s why the Alaska schools are in their conferences to stay!

In the CCHA, for Ferris, they pulled in 1000 a night against Huntsville this year. I’m assuming that was their lowest attended weekend.

2000 tickets on the weekend at $15 (I’m guessing at that number)…is $30,000. They’ll at least pay for the trip to Alaska. With concessions and the like, they even should make some $$$ on the deal.

Lake State hosted Robert Morris. I’m assuming that was their “extra” weekend. They averaged 2000 a night…so even they would make some cash.

Of course, both those schools would have to bus somewhere…then fly…then have a bus in Alaska (all adding to the cost)…but they all should, at a very minimum, break even.

As for Air Force, there is no way in H-E-double-hockey-sticks that they are leaving a league with Army in it. They want to play Army…and they like the Auto-Bid that comes with winning the AHA.

They WILL NOT LEAVE AHA! Get that through you head, people!